Former Central High School standout Riley Dewitz (seated) this past week made his formal commitment to the Angelina College Roadrunner basketball program beginning in the fall of 2018. Pictured with Dewitz is AC head coach Nick Wade. (Gary Stallard/AC Press photo)

Central’s Dewitz Commits to Angelina College Sharpshooter Joins Familiar Faces in Roadrunner Program

In his four years at Central High School, Riley Dewitz wrote his name at the top of the list of every offensive record. Whether scoring off the dribble or stepping back to drain three pointers, Dewitz has always had a knack for sending the ball through the nets.

Central’s most prolific scorer will now take his talents a short drive down the highway to Angelina College.

Dewitz on Tuesday formally committed to the Roadrunner basketball program and new head coach Nick Wade – continuing a relationship formed a couple of years ago, when Dewitz assisted Wade at AC Summer youth camps.

“Working with Coach Wade in the camps, you can see – even with the little kids – he just wants everybody to be the best they can be,” Dewitz said. “I know the program has a great record of helping guys develop enough to transfer to the next level, and that’s why I’m here.”

After averaging 23.3 points per game his senior year, Dewitz left high school as the Bulldogs’ all-time leading scorer with 2,368 points – just one of several records he holds. He earned All-State status following the 2017-2018 season and was a two-time District 22-3A Offensive Most Valuable Player. Dewitz also finished among the state’s top 10 in three-pointers made with more than 300, a skill that he believes will help his new team once the season begins in November.

“Being able hit some threes and space the floor will create more opportunities for the other guys,” Dewitz said.

Wade said he sees the sharpshooter as making an immediate impact on his team’s overall performance.

“Riley’s not just one of the best players in the area, he’s one of the best players in the state,” Wade said. “He’s an absolute workhorse who had a storied career not just at his school but in all of Texas. We’re lucky to have him stay so close to home.”

The Roadrunners open the regular season in November.

The e-mail address for AC’s Sports Information Director is gstallard@angelina.edu.

Author

Gary Stallard

Sports Information Director Gary Stallard, who also serves as a Liberal Arts Instructor, begins his eleventh season with Angelina College. Following a career as a U.S. Marine, Stallard completed his bachelor’s degree at Stephen F. Austin University, where he majored in English and Journalism. For more than 16 years, he has worked as a sports writer/columnist/photographer for the Lufkin Daily News; he continues to contribute free-lance articles on occasion. Stallard has won several awards for writing, including the Golden Hoops Award for basketball writing in 2003, Regional Sports Writer of the Year in 2004, and the Texas Press Association’s first-place award for column writing in 2007 and in 2014. He has also done basketball, football and baseball radio and live streaming play-by- play and color commentary for an ESPN affiliate. Currently Stallard serves as play-by-play broadcaster for AC basketball, baseball and softball games.

Prior to arriving at Angelina College, Stallard taught English at Lufkin High School for four years. He currently teaches Developmental Writing classes at AC. He and his wife Susan live in Lufkin.